High-Fives Mean So Much More - A Pearlshipping Story
by MegazardXY
Summary: Dawn's time in Unova with Ash...Pearlshipping style! Dawn has been feeling pretty down ever since Ash left for Kanto, so she jumps on the opportunity to go see him in the Unova region! Sure, they're best friends; that much is undeniable...but is there something more to their relationship? My first Pearlshipping story. Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
1. Prologue

What's up guys, PokefanShipping here with the beginning of my Pearlshipping story. This is my second story ever, and as always I'm totally open to any sort of criticism (preferably constructive) or advice you may have (praise is also appreciated as well, haha). Anyways, enjoy the story...and remember: Dawn may be out of the show forever, but Pearlshipping never dies!

Prologue

" _Dawn!" Ash had shouted, standing on the edge of the deck as the boat for Kanto slowly made its way out of the dock. Dawn had looked up, trying to keep a smile on her face as she saw Ash for the last time in Sinnoh._

" _No need to worry!" he had called out, smiling. Dawn had then run alongside the boat until the pier ended, where she had stood and waved a final good-bye to her best friend._

 _And then she had cried for days._

"Dawn?"

Dawn suddenly realized that she had been staring at her plate without touching a morsel of food. She looked up, awakening from her little daydream.

Her mother, Johanna, was looking at her with a worried look on her face. "Are you okay? You seem...out of it right now," she said with that typical motherly tone of voice. Piplup looked up from his Pokemon food, concerned for his trainer.

The young coordinator quickly nodded her head, although she herself knew that she wasn't okay. She never really had been herself ever since Ash had left for Kanto a few months ago. "Yeah, I'm fine, mom. No need to worry..." she started moving food around on her plate with her fork, halfheartedly taking a small bite occasionally.

"Now Dawn, you know that's when I worry the most. You didn't even eat breakfast this morning and you're hardly eating right now. Now tell me...what's the matter?" Johanna asked.

Dawn sighed. Mothers could be so annoyingly caring. Not to say that being caring was a bad thing. Ash had been the most caring person Dawn had ever known. But when her mom was prying into her life like this, it did get a little tiresome.

"Mom, could you please stop trying to get so involved with my life!" Dawn snapped, clearly irritated.

Johanna frowned. "Dawn, I'm hardly prying at all...I simply asked you a question concerning your wellbeing. Now is that really the end of the world? Because that's what you're making it out to be."

Dawn's face suddenly changed from anger and irritation to a sullen, melancholy expression. She hugged her knees as she sat in her chair and looked down. "I'm sorry, mom. It's just...I haven't really been myself lately. Sure, I have coordinating to focus on...and Buneary's Pokemon modeling is going just great...but it all just feels so empty...without-" she stopped there, as she had been hoping not to reveal her secret to her mom.

Johanna raised an eyebrow. "Care to finish that sentence, Dawn?" she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips. She suspected she knew what was troubling her daughter.

Dawn blushed and raised her hands, shaking them back and forth. "Um, what are you talking about, mom? That's all there is too it. Just having some trouble, um...being myself!" she looked away, knowing she didn't sound very convincing.

"Now Dawn, that makes no sense and you know it. Tell me...could this be...about Kenny?" she asked, hoping to sound as casual as possible. She knew that Kenny had a thing for her daughter; she just never quite knew whether it was mutual or not.

Dawn rolled her eyes and said, "No, mom...where did you get that idea? Besides, Kenny and I had an argument and I don't plan on speaking to him again."

Johanna was a little surprised, seeing as how Dawn and Kenny had been such good friends. "Oh? Will you bite my head off if I ask what happened?" she asked playfully.

Dawn smiled a little. "Well...basically after Ash left for Kanto, I decided to meet up with Kenny. We competed in a contest in Hearthome City. Neither of us won, though...Zoey did. Anyways, after a couple days he started acting as if he was my boyfriend. It was a little weird, but I didn't terribly mind at first. It was when he started being so controlling over me that I got fed up and admitted to him that I didn't like him like that. I'm not gonna go into detail about it...it's really not worth it." Dawn sighed, seeming nonchalant about the subject of Kenny. After all, it wasn't Kenny she _really_ cared about.

Her mom simply nodded understandingly, not even attempting to comprehend kids and their strange emotional phenomena. But asking about Kenny was just a distraction; she thought it was about time she confirmed her true suspicion. "I see. So Kenny's out of the question. By the way, I talked to someone you know not too long ago," she said.

Dawn's eyes perked up a bit. "Really? Who?"

Johanna smiled. "That girl from Johto...what was her name again? Lyra. Yes, Lyra called here about a week ago asking for you, but you were off in Hearthome. She had a few interesting things to say," she said, chuckling to herself.

"Like what?" Dawn asked, only half-interested. She had hoped her mom was going to say that Ash had called.

"Oh, at first it was just the usual introductions and formalities. Then, she actually asked about what your...what did she say? Your relationship status. She had asked about whether you had a boyfriend or not," Johanna said.

Surprised, Dawn lifted her head up. "Wh-What? Why would she ask something like that?" she asked, blushing.

"She said that back when she was traveling with you, she had been trying to matchmake you with a certain someone," Johanna replied, smiling at her daughter.

Dawn's cheeks were now a deep shade of pink as she remembered the days Lyra spent with her and the rest of the group. She recalled them being trapped in the basement of some building. It was there when Lyra had asked Dawn if Ash was her boyfriend. Dawn had quickly denied it, but she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he was. She smiled at the thought.

"You know, Cynthia is still waiting on her offer to you about staying at her villa in Undella Town. Now that you aren't traveling with Kenny anymore...perhaps you would like to go now?" Johanna asked, knowing perfectly well what Dawn's answer would be.

Dawn's eyes lit up with excitement. "I totally forgot about that! When can I leave? Maybe I'll see Ash there!" she got up and sprinted up the stairs. She threw the door open to her room and started packing her things for the Unova region. _Ash, I don't know how you feel about me exactly...but I'm coming for you!_ She thought to herself as she packed.

Johanna immediately called Cynthia, telling her that Dawn will be on her way to Undella Town. When Dawn came downstairs, Johanna smiled at her.

"Cynthia said that Ash and his friends will be staying at her villa shortly after you arrive, Dawn. Isn't that exciting?" Johanna said.

"Really? Wow, that's great! I can't wait to see him again!" Dawn was giddy with excitement.

They got into the car and Johanna drove Dawn to the port in Sandgem Town. Dawn was about to run onto the boat when her mom stopped her. Dawn turned around.

Johanna looked at her daughter for a moment, then said, "Dawn...I know why you're so excited to see Ash again...but just remember, he's still Ash. Don't get too disappointed if-"

Dawn cut her off, a big and optimistic smile on her face. "Mom! No need to worry! I have a feeling that this was meant to be..." she said, giving her mom a hug. Then she turned and ran for the boat.

Johanna watched as her daughter boarded the boat to Unova, her expression full of worry. _That Ash is a nice boy, but from what I understand he's extremely dense when it comes to girls,_ she thought. She shook her head, hoping that Dawn would be okay. _No need to worry...when will she grow out of saying that?_ She chuckled as she got back into the car.

– 3 days later –

Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Cynthia were all riding the seaplane to Undella Town, where they will all stay in Cynthia's huge villa there.

"You know, Ash, there's someone you know waiting for you at my villa," Cynthia said to the young trainer. Ash looked at her with curiosity.

"Really? Who?" he asked.

The Champion of Sinnoh just smiled and replied, "You'll just have to wait and see! She wanted it to be a surprise."

Ash smiled. "Cool! Can't wait!" he said, his usual big smile on his face. He looked out at a beautiful sunset through the seaplane window. _I wonder...could it be...?_

– –

Dawn ran outside and stood on the balcony of Cynthia's villa. She saw a big plane flying over Undella Bay, and it looked like it was close to landing.

"Look, Piplup! I wonder if that's the plane they're on!" Dawn said, her voice full of excitement.

"Piplup!" The Penguin Pokemon replied happily. The aspiring top-coordinator and her little blue starter Pokemon both stared out into the sunset, waiting for their friends.


	2. Chapter 1: A Joyful Reunion

Chapter 1: A Joyful Reunion

"Thank you for driving us, Jervis. You can take the day off, if you'd like," Cynthia said, smiling warmly at her loyal butler. He had just driven Ash and company to Cynthia's enormous villa, where an old friend excitedly awaits them.

Ash, Iris, and Cilan all got out of the limo. They all smiled as they breathed in the fresh air, overlooking Undella Bay. Axew poked its head out of Iris's purple hair, looking around curiously. It spotted the battlefield and hopped off of its trainer's head, running towards it.

Iris smiled at the sight of her partner being so excited. "Looks like Axew is psyched for some battling. Cilan, how about you help us practice Giga Impact? Axew could use some work on it," she said, looking at the green-haired connoisseur.

Cynthia smiled. "If you two are going to battle, then I would like to watch," she said.

"Hmm, yes, a battle sounds like a great idea right about now. I accept," replied Cilan, pulling out Pansage's Pokeball. "We can check out the villa later; Ash, you go on ahead and we'll catch up with you after our battle."

Ash nodded, as he was hoping he would be able to meet this person alone. "Sure, sounds like a plan. See you later!" he waved and walked up the steps of the front porch. He opened the door and walked inside, amazed by how large the hallway was. _Man,_ he thought, _This place sure beats my house in Pallet Town any day._

He walked into what looked like the living room, where there was a large couch and a coffee table in the center on top of a rug. He was just about to call out when suddenly he felt two hands gently cover the front of his face, blocking his vision.

A voice behind him giggled and asked, "Guess who, Ash?"

Caught off guard, Ash hesitated for a moment as he mentally tried to match that voice with a person. It was definitely a girl, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. _Someone I know..._ he thought. "Uh, I don't know, give me a hint?" he asked, playing along with this person's little game.

Dawn giggled again. "Well...we've been friends for quite a while. And I would consider you my best friend," she said, blushing a little. _It's a good thing he can't see me,_ she thought.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash on the floor just behind them. "Pip...Pipluppp..."

A lightbulb went off inside Ash's head, and he smiled as he shouted, "Dawn!" he turned around to face his best friend, who was smiling back at him while at the same time petting Piplup's head, who had just tripped over Dawn's foot. Piplup blushed as he looked up at Ash. "Piplup!" he cried, trying to act as if nothing had happened. Dawn laughed and said, "Hey! It's been a while, Ash!"

Ash winked and raised his hand up high. "Sure has!" he said, as he leaned in for a high five.

He was completely surprised when she instead pulled him in for a hug. Ash blushed a little as she embraced him, and after a few seconds he hugged her back. The two of them enjoyed their reunion together in a few brief moments of silence.

Dawn pulled away, her cheeks a deep shade of pink. "Oops, I almost forgot, Ash," she said sheepishly. She raised her hand up high, smiling. Ash did the same, and they shared another trademark high-five, a symbol of their everlasting friendship.

The two best friends spent the next half-hour catching up. Ash told stories about his recent gym battles and the new Pokemon he's encountered during his time in Unova. Dawn told him about Buneary's Pokemon modeling gig, and her recent contests, of course. Dawn was so glad that she could spend some time with Ash again, and Ash felt the same way. They had been apart for too long.

 _Should I tell him?_ She thought, considering the possibility that he wouldn't be mature enough to return her affections. She decided to just wait it out a bit. _Maybe I could get some advice from Cynthia. A beautiful woman like her must know a lot about men._

Ash leaned back on the couch he was sitting on and outstretched his arms. "It's really good to see you, again, Dawn. I don't think you know how much this means to me," he said, with his usual big smile on his face.

Dawn blushed, although she didn't think Ash had noticed. "It's really great to see you, too. I can't tell you how many times I've been thinking about y-" she suddenly stopped in her tracks, then said, "Uh, I mean, um..."

Just then, Cynthia walked into the room, with Iris and Cilan following behind her. "Hey, you two," said the champion of Sinnoh. She smiled at the sight of the two youths sitting on the couch together. _They're quite cute together,_ she thought.

With Axew's head poking out of her hair, Iris stepped up to Dawn. "Hi! You must be Ash's friend. I'm Iris, and this is my partner, Axew. We've been traveling with Ash around the Unova region."

Dawn smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Iris. And whoa, what kind of Pokemon is that?" she quickly pulled out her Pokedex, which stated, "Axew, the Tusk Pokemon. Its large tusks have a tendency to break, but each time they grow back, they grow in harder and sturdier."

"Wow, so it says here Axew's a Dragon-type. That's so cool!" Dawn said, who was always enthused by meeting new Pokemon. That's another thing she and Ash had in common.

Iris nodded. "Yup, and my dream is to become a Dragon Master!" she said, petting Axew on the head.

Cilan stepped up and took a bow. "Hello, my name is Cilan, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Dawn. I understand that you're great friends with Ash, correct? Now I don't see why we can't be good friends as well," he said, with his usual friendly and formal tone of voice.

Dawn nodded and smiled, shaking Cilan's hand. "It's really nice to meet you all, I'm sure we'll all have lots of fun here together!"

Ash smiled. "You bet, Dawn! I really missed having you around, you know. It's really great that you could be here to train with us for the Pokemon World Tournament!"

Again, Dawn blushed at Ash's innocent but heartwarming words. _Maybe he does care about me more than I thought he did,_ she thought hopefully.

Ash raised his hand up in a fist, a determined look on his face. "Hey, Dawn, what do you say we have a battle? I'd love to see your Pokemon in action again," he said.

Dawn replied, "I was just about to say that, Ash! Let's go to the battlefield right now!" The two of them ran off, leaving Iris, Cilan, and Cynthia in the living room.

Iris chuckled. "That Ash, what a kid. Always running off to go play somewhere or other at every opportunity he gets," she said.

Cilan remained silent, and he looked like he was thinking deeply about something. Cynthia spoke up, "Let's go watch them battle, shall we? I'm sure it will be an exciting match. Ash and Dawn are both exceptional trainers." Iris and Cilan nodded and the three of them walked out to the battlefield.

"Come on out, everybody!" Dawn shouted, throwing all of her Pokeballs into the air. In numerous flashes of white light, her Pokemon appeared before them: Pachirisu, Buneary, Togekiss, Quilava, and Mamoswine. All the Pokemon looked happy and excited to see Ash again.

"Okay, everyone, time to say hello!" Ash shouted, releasing all of his Pokemon into the open air. Snivy, Oshawott, Pignite, Krokorok, and Scraggy all appeared on the battlefield, looking ready to battle.

Cynthia, Iris, and Cilan had just walked outside as the Pokemon were getting acquainted with one another. Cilan and Iris let out their Pokemon as well, and pretty soon they were all becoming friends.

Buneary walked up to Pikachu, blushing. She leaned up against him, holding her fur over her face. Pikachu smiled shyly and scratched the back of his head.

Dawn smiled. "It looks like Buneary still has a crush on Pikachu even after all this time," she said, watching her Pokemon fawn over Ash's partner. Ash smiled too, nodding his head. No one had noticed, but he was looking straight at Dawn.

"You know what they say, about Pokemon's feelings for one another," Cynthia said. The others turned to face her, curious. Then Cilan raised his index finger and said, "Ah, that's right! They say that Pokemon's feelings for one another reflect their trainer's feelings as well. So in this case, that would mean-"

Dawn cut him off, frantically trying to avoid where this conversation was headed. "Umm, uh, so Ash, how about that battle now?" she asked with a wink and a smile, blushing a little bit.

Ash's eyes lit up with passion, something he did that had always made Dawn's stomach flutter with butterflies. When his world was lit up, so was hers.

"Sure! Let's get started!" Ash cheered, his hand in a fist. Pikachu hopped onto the battlefield, sparks flying from its cheeks. "Pika pika!" he cried, clearly pumped for a battle.

Ash smiled at his little electric partner. "Okay, then I guess I'm gonna start with Pikachu!" he said, turning to Dawn. "Who are you going to use, Dawn?"

Quilava dashed forward onto the battlefield and made direct eye contact with Pikachu, the flames on its back flaring up with fiery passion. "Quilava!" it cried, pawing the ground.

Dawn said, "Well I guess it's decided. I'll start with Quilava!"

Cilan raised his hand. "I'll be the referee of this match. Battle begin!"

Ash nodded and looked over at Dawn. "Alright, you and Quilava can have the first move, Dawn!" he shouted across the battlefield, smiling at his best friend.

Dawn nodded and raised her hand elegantly, yelling, "Okay, Quilava, let's start with Flame Wheel! Let's show 'em what we got!"

Quilava ran and curled up into a wheel of fire as it spun towards Pikachu at an admirable pace. Ash calmly closed his eyes and said, "Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack, then strike it from the side!"

Pikachu dashed in zig zags towards Quilava at first, then quickly maneuvered to the side and knocked Quilava over, hitting it with considerable force. Quilava cried out and fell to the ground. It slowly got up, not seeming too damaged.

Dawn frowned. _Strategic as always,_ she thought. _He's so good at battling...I wonder if we'll team up again and do another tag battle, and maybe-_

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

A powerful bolt of lightning struck Quilava directly, zapping its entire body. Quilava cried out in pain. Dawn suddenly realized that she had temporarily stopped battling as she had been thinking about Ash. _Snap out of it, Dawn. Let's focus on the here and now,_ she thought. "Quilava, let's counter with Flame Wheel again!" she shouted.

With a determined look on its face, Quilava charged towards Pikachu, spinning as a wheel of flames. This time, it hit Pikachu head-on, knocking it back. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out as it suffered the damage from the powerful fire-type attack. He got up right afterwards though, seeming unharmed for the most part.

Ash adjusted his hat. "Okay, Pikachu, it's time to end this. Finish it off with Iron Tail!" he ordered, his voice full of confidence.

Dawn smiled. "Not so fast! Quilava, use Flamethrower and Flame Wheel together to create a counter-shield!" she commanded, relishing the surprised look on Ash's face. _I'll never forget when we created that tactic together,_ she thought.

Quilava did as it was told, spinning amidst flames as it created a shield of fire between itself and Pikachu's glowing tail. Pikachu recoiled as it was grazed by a few stray embers. Ash was shocked, but he just smiled. _She still remembers our old strategy...that sure brings back memories,_ he thought.

"I guess I can never underestimate you, Dawn!" Ash shouted, impressed with her battling spirit. "Pikachu, break through that shield with Thunderbolt!" he yelled.

Pikachu let loose a powerful Thunderbolt attack that pierced right through Quilava's counter-shield, striking Quilava directly. Quilava fell to the ground, unconscious. After a few seconds, Cilan stepped in. "Quilava is unable to battle! Ash and Pikachu are the winners of this match!" he declared.

Dawn sighed and smiled. _I never was able to beat him,_ she thought. "Good battle, Ash! You and Pikachu are super strong as always," she said, congratulating her best friend with grace. On the sidelines, Buneary was cheering loudly for Pikachu, who blushed at the sight.

Ash nodded and said, "That was a great battle! You've gotten a lot stronger, Dawn, I can tell!"

Dawn blushed at his praise. "Y-yeah, I've been working on my battling as well as my performing. I guess we both have come a long way since our time in Sinnoh together, haven't we?" she said.

Ash smiled. "For sure! And we'll both just keep getting better and better!" he said, raising his hand up high. Dawn mimicked this and they both shared another high-five. _I wonder if he treasures each high-five as much as I do,_ Dawn thought as she blushed, and their hands slowly parted.

Iris and Cynthia both observed Ash and Dawn intently, glancing at each other knowingly. The champion of Sinnoh and the aspiring Dragon Master both suspected something was going on. Something stronger than friendship.

Ash rubbed underneath his nose as he said, "I'm getting kinda hungry. How 'bout we all go get something to eat?"

Cilan spoke up, "I've got it covered, Ash! Just give me ten minutes to prepare lunch for us. I'm making a scrumptious stew with many ingredients that I know you'll all enjoy!"

"You're always hungry, Ash, and I'm not surprised. I guess some things never change, do they?" Dawn said cheerfully, a winning smile on her face.

Ash laughed. _It's really great to have Dawn back,_ he thought. _I hadn't realized how much I missed her._ "Yeah, my appetite is always never-ending!" he said, rubbing underneath his nose again.

Iris raised an eyebrow. _Does he always rub underneath his nose like that?_ She thought.

The group all made their way inside the villa, where they talked and eventually ate lunch. All the while, Dawn glanced at Ash when he wasn't looking. Ash absentmindedly found himself staring at Dawn on occasion, not knowing exactly why.

Iris saw everything. She smiled, her suspicions confirmed. Cynthia also noticed everything. Interestingly, she herself had never found any particular interest in men. But something about seeing these two young trainers made her smile.

– – – –

What'd you guys think? The only episodes of the Black and White series I ever watched were the ones with Dawn in them, so I don't exactly know how to write Cilan and Iris' lines. Are they at least somewhat close to how they were in the anime? Let me know! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Without them, I lose motivation to write. Thanks for reading guys, I know the story hasn't quite picked up yet, but I promise that will change within the next chapter! Stay tuned.


	3. Chapter 2: Gestures

Chapter 2: Gestures

It's a warm and sunny morning as our heroes are just waking up to a new day, their first day of training together for the Pokemon World Tournament Junior Cup. There, Ash and company will compete for the chance to battle the champion of the Unova region, Alder.

"Breakfast is ready, everybody! Come on down and dig in!" Cilan shouted, who had just finished frying up a few dozen pancakes. Pansage was walking around the kitchen, helping its trainer with the cooking.

Iris slid down the railing of the staircase and practically skipped into the dining room, with Axew's head poking out of her hair. She sat down next to Cynthia, who had already been up for a few hours.

Dawn had been awake for about fifteen minutes, and she had smelled the tasty aroma of the food. But her hair just wasn't cooperating.

"Ugh, my hair just won't fall straight!" Dawn cried out in frustration as she brushed and brushed frantically. If she were to make a list of things she absolutely hated, bad hair days would definitely be ranked number one.

Piplup offered to use his Bubblebeam on her hair, but Dawn didn't want to risk damaging anything in the extremely nice bathroom. She was going to have to deal with this herself.

Having not heard Cilan's call, Ash was still fast asleep, with Pikachu comfortably snoozing on the floor beside his bed. But when the smell of pancakes slowly wafted through the air into his room, he gradually started to wake up. He opened his eyes slightly and started getting up. _How long was I asleep?_ He thought. Then he felt that feeling down there. _Man, where's the bathroom?_ He thought as he made his way into the hallway.

Dawn was still struggling with her hair when she heard a knock on the door. Having been cranky because of her hair, she was about to angrily shout when she heard Ash's voice.

"Hey, whoever's in there ya think you can hurry? I really gotta go!" Ash said. He really did need to go.

Despite the catastrophe she was stuck in, Dawn smiled to herself. Ash was so cute sometimes. _But oh my gosh I can't leave this bathroom with my hair like this! Ash would think I'm a total slob!_ She thought. She quickly returned her attention to her hair, shouting, "Um, I'm almost done, Ash! Just a few more minutes maybe?"

Ash sighed. "A few whole minutes? I think I'll just go look for another bathroom," he said, his voice fading as he walked down the hall, away from the door.

 _Thank god he's gone..._ Dawn sighed with relief. She frowned at the sight of her hair, which was still a hopeless tangled mess. After ten more minutes of brushing, her hair was finally somewhat straight. She put her white hat on to try to cover up the few stray strands and walked downstairs to breakfast.

Everyone had already finished eating by the time she had gotten there. They were all leaving to go train outside when Dawn sat down to her plate of relatively cold pancakes. She smiled and waved to them.

Iris frowned. "You sure you want to eat alone, Dawn? I feel terrible just leaving you here all by yourself," she said.

Cilan and Ash both nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you want some company?" Ash asked.

Dawn just smiled and said, "No need to worry! You all just go and train. I should've gotten up earlier."

Iris and Cilan both nodded and left. Cynthia walked out with them. Ash, however, closed the door after them and walked back into the kitchen. "I think I'll just stay here a bit. I'm still sorta hungry," he said, getting another pancake and a piece of bacon. He sat down right next to Dawn, who's cheeks were so red you'd confuse them with Pikachu's.

"Oh, um, thanks Ash. That's so nice of you," Dawn said. She glanced over at him and it appeared to her that he wasn't really interested in his food. The Ash she knew never ate so slowly. _Is he staying just for me?_ She wondered, blushing even more at the thought.

Ash looked up from his plate, which was still half-covered in food. "So...you talk to Brock at all lately?" he asked. The two of them fondly remembered their friend, who had quit his journey to become a Pokemon doctor.

Dawn shook her head shamefully. "I haven't had the chance...I've been so busy with Buneary's Pokemodeling and contests I don't use the video phone very often," she replied, with regret in her voice. She really should have talked to Brock at least once. He was one of her best friends, after all.

Ash nodded understandingly. "Well, don't feel bad about it. Great coordinators like you have a busy schedule, and there's nothing you can do about that! Brock probably understands," he said cheerfully, smiling at Dawn, who blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Ash," she replied somewhat quietly.

Ash shifted in his seat a little as he casually asked, "So, have you been traveling with Kenny after I left?"

This question surprised Dawn a litte bit, and she hesitated before answering. "Well, I did travel with him for a little while. But we kinda got into a fight...a bad one...and now I'm not speaking to him," she said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Ash frowned; he didn't like seeing his best friend so down. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I guess you probably don't wanna talk about it, do you?"

Dawn shook her head slowly. "Maybe...maybe some other time. Right now, I'm still just a little confused," she said, starting to tear up.

He nodded and smiled. "How about we go train for the Junior Cup? That'll cheer you up no doubt!" he said excitedly, his face full of that usual confidence and determination. Dawn could've stared into his eyes forever.

She nodded her head. "Sure, Ash! But just because you've been so nice to me doesn't mean I'll go easy!" she teased, getting up from her chair.

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" Ash said cheerfully as the two of them ran out the door together. Outside, they saw Cilan's Pansage battling Iris's Axew. Naturally, both Pokemon seemed to be working really hard, seeing as how the Junior Cup was only two days away.

Ash and Dawn battled against each other for a good two hours. Their Pokemon gave it everything they had. No one could wait to compete against trainers from all over the world at the Junior Cup.

Cynthia had to leave for a few hours for a reason that she had not made apparent. The rest of the group was relaxing in the living room of the villa. There were two couches: one with Cilan and Iris, and one across from that seated Ash and Dawn. The four of them were all having a good time after a long day of intense training. Cilan was telling a story about the restaurant he and his brothers owned back in Striaton City.

"And I remember this one time where a customer brought a Phione into the restaurant, and Cress couldn't take his eyes off of it. After all, Phione is one of the most rare water-type Pokemon ever discovered; and since Cress specializes in water-type Pokemon, he wouldn't stop begging the poor young lady for a trade. It was very difficult for him to see them leave," Cilan chuckled at the thought of his brother. He missed him – Chili too of course – and he longed to see them again.

Dawn's eyes lit up at the mention of Phione. "That reminds me! This one time Ash, Brock and I were passing through Chocovine Town during the day of the Phione Festival! That was the day where the Phione visit the waters that border the town. They say that seeing a Phione brings you good luck. Remember that, Ash?" she asked, looking at him with a radiant smile.

Ash nodded with enthusiasm. "Of course I do!" he replied. "I remember we took that submarine deep down into the ocean to search for Phione. We got lucky enough to see three of them!"

"Yeah, and not only that, we got to see some other different kinds of water-type Pokemon! I remember seeing a big school of Luvdisc..." Dawn turned away slightly, blushing. For her, seeing that school of Luvdisc with Ash had been the most memorable moment of that day. She couldn't have cared less about Phione at that moment.

Ash rubbed underneath his nose. "Yeah, I remember that, too! Man, we had a lot of good times back in Sinnoh, didn't we?"

Although Ash's demeanor was cheerful, Cilan noticed there was a hint of sadness as he spoke. He himself knew what it felt like to miss the days of the past. Seeing Ash talk about it now, he deduced that Ash's nostalgic tone had something to do with the blue-haired girl sitting beside him.

Dawn blushed even more. _It's good to know that Ash misses those days, too,_ she thought to herself. Then she looked down, her heart feeling kind of heavy. _But...he's just going to keep on journeying...new regions, new Pokemon, new challenges...that's what Ash's life is all about. And if those things don't particularly involve me, then...what if I never see him again after this?_

Iris stood up with Axew in her arms. "I think I'm gonna go to bed now. I'm exhausted after all that training today! Good night, guys!" she said as she waved and walked upstairs to her room. The rest of the group bid her good night as she left.

Dawn rubbed her eyes and said, "You know, I think I'll turn in for the night as well. I pushed myself pretty hard today, and I'm gonna need a good rest for tomorrow's training! Good night you two!" She walked upstairs, leaving just Ash and Cilan in the living room.

Ash was just about to get up and leave when Cilan stopped him. "Hold on for just a moment, Ash. I have some questions to ask you," he said. His expression was somewhat serious, yet lighthearted at the same time. Ash remained sitting down, slightly confused.

Dawn had just gotten into bed when she heard a soft knock on her door. She got up and opened it, seeing Iris standing there in her pajamas. "Oh, hey Iris. Did you want something?"

Iris smiled and said, "Oh, not really...I just thought it's time we had a little girl talk." For the first time since they had met, Axew was not with Iris.

Dawn stared at her blankly. She blinked as she said, "W-What? What do you mean?" she stammered, possibilities running through her mind rapidly. _Does she...know?_

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind, Dawn. That's why I figured you could use someone to talk to!" Iris said cheerfully. "Ash can be quite a handful. Trust me, I would know," she added, a slight smirk on her face. Dawn took a step back, shocked that Iris really did know.

"H-how did you figure it out?" Dawn didn't know how to react. All this time this had been her little secret...what if the others knew too?

Iris smirked again. "No offense, but it's pretty obvious. I see the way you look at Ash, and how you talk to him. And I can tell those high-fives you guys do aren't just friendly gestures, just by looking at you. Sometimes I can't tell who's cheeks are more red; your's or Pikachu's," she said jokingly.

Embarrassed, Dawn blushed and scratched the back of her head. "I...I don't know what to say. Well...except one thing...please don't tell anyone, Iris. I want it to be a secret for now."

The aspiring Dragon Master chuckled and nodded understandingly. "I wasn't going to tell anyone, Dawn, don't worry! What I wanna know is this...you had traveled with Ash for almost a year in Sinnoh. How come you never said anything to him then?"

Dawn looked down at the floor, her eyes starting to tear up. "I...I didn't have the courage," she said, her voice full of regret. "And I had a lot of other things going on in my life at the time, and so did Ash. But our friendship was still the strongest and most meaningful friendship that I've ever had...I just wasn't able to confess the other feelings I'd been harboring all that time..."

– –

"So how much did you miss her? A lot? A little? I must ask that you be more specific, Ash," Cilan said with an urgent tone. He hadn't realized just how dense Ash could be until now.

"What's up with all these questions anyway, Cilan? You've never done anything like this before," complained Ash, who had been sitting there for 10 minutes talking to Cilan about Dawn.

Cilan frowned. "Don't try to change the subject, Ash. My goodness, and I thought this would be easy!" he said, exasperated.

– –

Iris nodded. "I get it. Of course it wouldn't have been easy for you to tell him. After all, he's such a kid, he probably wouldn't even understand," she joked. A small smile tugged at Dawn's lips.

"You're probably right. Besides, maybe it's best if we just remain friends..." Dawn said, although she knew she would never truly want that.

Iris smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, Dawn, you're not fooling me. But anyways, it's getting late. We should probably go to bed. I wonder what the guys are doing..."

Dawn yawned and nodded. "You're right. I'm pretty sleepy right now. Good night," she said as she started to close the door. Iris stopped her abruptly.

"One last thing, Dawn. If you really like Ash and you want to confess your feelings to him, then maybe you should consider traveling with us!" Iris said cheerfully, with a big smile on her face.

That possibility had never occurred to Dawn for some reason. _Hmmm. Maybe that would be a good idea...although I would have to put my own long-term journey on hold since there aren't any coordinator contests here..._ she thought. She would have to think long and hard about this.

"I would...love to, Iris. I'll think about it," Dawn said. "Good night," she said. Iris bid her good night as Dawn closed the door to her room and got back into bed. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling. _Ash...or my dream?_ She kept asking herself.

– –

"-And that's about all the advice I can give you, Ash. Now I'm going to bed now, I'm exhausted. Just think about what I said, alright?" Cilan said as he stood up and walked away.

Ash sat there on the couch for a while, thinking. Just as Cilan had told him. He was tired from that day's training, but he just couldn't get the thoughts out of his head. Contrary to the norm, he wasn't thinking about Pokemon.

– –

 _Do I want to be with Ash...more than I want to become a top coordinator?_ Dawn thought, still laying in bed. Despite having been tired just minutes before, sleep was escaping her at the moment. _No need to worry,_ she thought. _I can figure this out easily. It's gonna be okay._

Somehow, she already knew that this was going to be far from easy.

– –

After sitting in the living room for about half an hour, Ash finally went to his room upstairs. He walked past Dawn's door, and stopped for a moment. He stared at the brown wooden door, contemplating whether to knock or not. He shook his head. _She's probably sleeping, anyway,_ he thought, and continued walking down the hallway. He opened the door to his room and saw Pikachu sleeping on the bed. Smack dab in the middle of it. Ash smiled and changed into his pajamas. He got into bed and made sure he lay just on the edge, to avoid disturbing his little electric partner.

 _Dawn,_ he thought. _Who knew I could be so oblivious...?_

He slowly, very slowly, drifted into a deep slumber. He dreamed about Pokemon, and the numerous possibilities awaiting him on his journey; like he always did. This time, however, there was someone by his side as he dreamt about the future.

– – – –

And that's the end of the chapter. I know, I know...meh. I've written better. Sorry if not much happened, I swear next chapter will be more interesting. I just sort of needed some filler because I plan on having 10 chapters total, epilogue included, like my Amourshipping story. But I hope you guys at least find the story somewhat interesting! I've been really busy lately with school and sports, but I'm trying my best to spend most of my free time writing. Please review! Can't tell you how much it means to me.


	4. Chapter 3: Beyond Friends

Chapter 3: Beyond Friends

"Hey Dawn, can I talk to you for a sec outside?" Ash asked the blue-haired coordinator. He put Pikachu down and told him to stay there.

Dawn was surprised. "Um, sure Ash. Of course," she replied as she got up from the breakfast table and followed him outside. The two trainers stood in the shade of a tall oak tree.

"Dawn...I have something to tell you," Ash said. "I...uh...I...lo-"

And then Dawn woke up. She looked around and sadly realized that she had been dreaming. _Aw, man!_ She thought. _I wish I could've at least kept sleeping until the good part._ She rubbed her eyes and yawned while getting up out from under the covers. Piplup stirred a little on its own little bed on the floor, but he remained sleeping. The room was a little stuffy for some reason, so Dawn felt like getting some fresh air. She put on her slippers and walked down the stairs and out the front doors.

She stepped into the open air, the breeze smelling like the beautiful waters of Undella Bay. It was very relaxing and she stretched again, a smile on her face. It was still early, so the others wouldn't be getting up for breakfast for at least another half hour. She decided to go for a walk.

It wasn't long before she had reached the beach of the bay. There was no one and nothing in sight except for one person and a Pokemon standing on just inches from the water. Dawn rubbed her eyes and took a closer look. _Is that...?_

Amidst the silence of the empty beach, Pikachu's ears picked up the faintest footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Dawn making her way towards them. He smiled and tapped Ash's leg. "Pika pi!" he cried.

Ash looked down at his partner. "What is it, Pikachu?" he asked, then out of the corner of his eye he saw her. He turned around with a big smile on his face. _What is she doing here?_ He wondered.

 _Oh my gosh that's Ash and Pikachu!_ Dawn thought as she started walking faster towards her best friend. She felt her head to make sure her hair was somewhat decent. "Ash! Imagine seeing you here this early. You're usually the last one up!" she said, smiling.

Ash laughed and rubbed underneath his nose. "You're not wrong about that, Dawn. But I just felt like coming out here to think...I don't know why, though," he said, looking back out at the water. The sun was just starting to rise, illuminating the surface of the water with a bright, orange hue.

"Oh, is something bothering you?" Dawn asked, her face expressing concern. She cared deeply for him.

Ash shrugged. "I don't really know. I'm just kind of confused right now," he said, trying to force a smile so that Dawn wouldn't worry.

Dawn frowned. "Are you sure nothing is wrong? Because you're totally acting like you've got something bothering you," she said, her tone of voice sounding rather motherly.

Ash looked at her with those innocent brown eyes of his. "Dawn, you're not my mom. I think I can take care of myself," he said, his smile showing that his words were well-intended.

Crossing her arms, Dawn stubbornly replied, "Ash Ketchum. I know when you're not yourself, and I can definitely tell that right now you've got something on your mind. I wanna know!" Dawn was almost pouting now, which made Ash chuckle. This frustrated her and made her feel warm inside at the same time. Seeing Ash smile, laugh, cheer, whatever it was...made her feel great.

"Dawn. There's no need to worry," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She blushed a little, but the sun hadn't come out all the way yet so he couldn't see.

They stared into each other's eyes for a few brief moments. Dawn would've stayed there forever, but suddenly she started freaking out on the inside. _Oh no...no I'm not ready to tell him yet...I've gotta distract him somehow,_ she thought.

"So Dawn, I-" Ash started, but was cut off when Dawn quickly snatched his hat off of his head. "Dawn, what are yo-"

"Catch me if you can, Ash Ketchum!" she teased and broke off into a sprint back towards the direction she had come. Ash stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, but his expression of shock quickly turned into a mischievous smile as he started to run after her.

"C'mon, Pikachu! We can't let her get away!" he shouted. Pikachu smiled and ran alongside his trainer. He could've easily used Quick Attack to catch up to Dawn, but he decided to let his trainer be the one to do the honors.

After five minutes of running, Dawn had made it to the battlefield just outside of Cynthia's villa, with Ash just on her heels. She finally stopped and turned around, raising her hands in defense to protect the hat. She laughed as Ash tried to reach around and grab it. "Alright, Dawn. You're asking for it now!" Ash jokingly shouted as he started chasing her again around the property.

Cynthia had been awake when she heard noises outside. She looked out the window and saw the two young trainers goofing off in the yard. She smiled.

"Got it!" Ash cheered triumphantly, raising his hat up high and then placing it back onto his head. Dawn laughed as she lay on the ground, exhausted. She gazed at Ash adoringly, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked, both of them smiling. It was Cilan who interrupted that precious moment for Dawn.

"Ash! Dawn! Come on inside for breakfast! I've just finished making the waffles!" Cilan shouted. Ash looked over and saw his friend on the front doorstep, waving at them.

"All right! Let's go eat, Dawn!" Ash cheered. He ran over to Cilan and disappeared into the house. Dawn was still smiling as she watched him leave. Then she got up and started walking towards the smell of freshly-made waffles, brushing the dirt off of her nightgown. She felt warm and fuzzy inside after having that moment with Ash. _Did he think it was romantic, too?_ She wondered.

When she entered the kitchen, Ash and the rest of the group, including Cynthia, were all beginning to chow down on Cilan's fantastic meal. They all greeted her with cheerful faces and full mouths. She smiled at them. "Morning, everyone!" she said cheerfully, walking with her plate to the waffle iron. Then she suddenly noticed her reflection in the stainless steel of the waffle iron. _Oh no..._ she thought. Her hair was a mess.

Behind her, she heard Ash's voice from the table. "Everything okay, Dawn?" he asked worriedly.

Cilan looked up as well, although Dawn was too focused on her hair to see him. "Is there something the matter with the waffles? I can assure yo-"

Dawn cut him off, "Oh, no no, everything's just fine, guys! Really! No need to worry, heh heh..." and she went back to straightening her hair. Piplup looked up from his Pokemon food, a little disgruntled from being left behind this morning. His sympathy for Dawn's bad hair day was enough for him to simply ignore his hurt feelings and continue eating. _Piplup, pip pip,_ he thought ( _I don't ever leave her anywhere...)_.

After a couple minutes, Dawn's hair was still not straight. In fact, it appeared that she had just made it worse. "Ugh, this is so embarrassing!" she complained, all the while praying to god that Ash wasn't paying too much attention to her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, which surprised her and almost made her drop the brush she was holding. She turned and saw Ash smiling at her. "Dawn. Your hair looks fine. Don't worry about it so much," he said. _Is he blushing?_ Dawn thought to herself.

"Oh...um...okay...I guess I'll just start eating then," Dawn managed, flustered from being within such close proximity to Ash. She knew her hair was still a mess and that Ash was just trying to make her feel better...but she adored him for that simple gesture. Cynthia watched the two young trainers, again observing their remarkably close bond.

The group continued eating their breakfast. They were all silent for the most part, with the occasional "pass the syrup, please" and "thank you". Then Iris spoke up.

"Hey, guys, I have an idea! Let's take a break from training today, and instead go on a little adventure!" she proposed, clearly very excited. Axew looked up from his Pokemon food and cheered, mirroring his trainer's enthusiasm.

Ash frowned. "Hmm. I'm not so sure. We have a lot of strategies and moves to work on for the Cup..."

Iris frowned, too. "Ash, you're such a kid! You haven't even let me tell you where I want us to go!" she shouted across the table. Dawn and Cynthia watched with amusement.

Ash stood up and was about to give Iris a piece of his mind when Cilan stood up and spread his arms out in a calming sort of motion. "Now, now, everyone, let's settle down. Ash, you can voice your opinions after Iris here explains where and what her idea involves," he said, doing his best to calm the younger, more hotheaded trainers. _I wonder if Brock ever had to do that with me and Ash back in the day,_ Dawn thought, chuckling a little to herself.

Iris smiled radiantly at Cilan. "Why thank you, Cilan, for being a _mature_ human being," she shot a glare towards Ash, who returned it with a glare of his own. "Anyway, what I was thinking is that we should all visit Onix Island and look for the special Onix together! I'm sure it'll be lots of fun, and who knows; maybe one of us can capture the special Onix!"

Ash's expression softened, and then he couldn't help but feel that overwhelming sense of excitement. "That...sounds awesome!" he cried out, his mood completely changed from before. "I'm gonna be the one to catch it! Right, Pikachu?" he smiled and turned to his starter Pokemon. "Pika, pika pi!" Pikachu cheered.

Dawn smiled as Ash lit up her world yet again. _Gosh...I don't know how I survived without him all this time,_ she thought. Then she turned to Iris. "I think that sounds like a great idea. I know I'm in!" she said.

Cilan nodded. "And I will accompany you all as well. So then I guess it's settled. We'll all be going to Onix Island together. Cynthia, will you be joining us?" he asked as he turned to the champion, who had been fairly quiet all this time.

Cynthia smiled, but shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I must attend to other business today. I'm sure you all will have a lot of fun, though!"

The group was slightly disappointed that Cynthia would not be with them, but nevertheless they excitedly proceeded to get ready for this little adventure. Cilan cleaned up the kitchen with Jervis, Dawn managed to fix her hair up, and Iris mapped out just where they needed to go. Ash was already waiting for everyone at the limo.

When everyone was finally ready, Jervis drove them up to the port at the edge of the shore. He parked and the group got out and breathed in the sea air again. "The boat is just this way," Jervis politely announced.

"All right, let's go, Pikachu!" Ash cheered again, running towards the boat. He turned his head and shouted, "Hey Dawn, you don't wanna get left behind, do you?"

Dawn laughed and started running after him. "No way, Ash! I'll race you there!" The two trainers ran off ahead of the rest of the group.

Iris sighed. "What a kid," she said.

Cilan simply nodded his head, although he wasn't agreeing with Iris's recurrent remark. He was doing a variation of an evaluation in his head...an evaluation that had to do with the relationship between Ash and Dawn.

Everyone boarded the boat and they set off towards Onix Island. On the way, they saw numerous Pokemon jumping in and out of the water, mainly Buizel and Mantyke.

Pikachu stood up on the railing of the boat, using his good sense of balance to stand on the thin metal. "Pikaaa!"

Ash looked at Pikachu and said, "Hey, that looks fun! I'm gonna try that!" Sure enough, he started getting up on top of the railing to join his friend.

Dawn frowned. "Uh, Ash, that doesn't look very safe. Maybe you should ge-"

"Whoa, whoaaa!" Ash was already losing his balance and was just about to fall over the edge. Pikachu grabbed onto Ash's leg in an attempt to help him up, but Ash was leaning pretty far over.

Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh no, Ash! You're gonna fall!" She quickly ran over and grabbed his hand just as he plummeted over the edge of the boat, bringing Dawn with him. The two of them landed with a splash in the cold water.

Ash looked at Dawn. "Oh, man, I'm sorry Dawn. Are you okay?" he asked, voicing his concern for his friend. He always worried about her.

Dawn simply smiled. "I'm fine, Ash. No need to worry!" she said cheerfully, although she shivered from the cold. Ash noticed this and moved closer, wrapping his arm around her to help keep her warm. Dawn's cheeks quickly turned a deep shade of pink. "Th-thanks, Ash," she managed to say. She could've died happy right then and there.

In the distance, they saw the boat turning around, making its way back towards them. "Man, I'm never gonna hear the end of this!" Ash said, laughing a little and scratching the back of his head.

Something pink caught Dawn's eye. She turned to the right and saw a Luvdisc swimming in a circle around them. "Look, Ash! It's a Luvdisc!" she said, blushing even more.

Ash turned and admired the Rendezvous Pokemon. Within a matter of seconds more Luvdisc started swimming in circles around them, beginning to create a slow whirlpool that carried them towards the boat.

"Ash! Dawn! Grab on!" Cilan shouted as he threw down a red-and-white life buoy. The Luvdisc all used Sweet Kiss into the air around them and disappeared underwater. Hearts were flying everywhere, popping and dissolving into thin air.

When they were back on the boat, Iris walked over to them with a stern look on her face. "Ash Ketchum. This is why you're such a kid. You always do stupid things like that. Did you really think you could balance yourself on the boat railing? Seriously..." she rolled her eyes and then looked at Dawn. "Are you alright, Dawn? You didn't get hurt, did you?" she asked.

Dawn smiled and replied, "I'm fine Iris. No need to worry." The truth was, Dawn was more than just fine. Her heart was pounding and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Ash chuckled. "I'm fine, too, thanks for asking!" he said as he dried himself off with a towel.

Dawn laughed, appreciating Ash's sense of humor. "You're always in high spirits, aren't you, Ash?" she said, looking at him adoringly.

Ash smiled. "You bet! I think having you around has made everyday a good one!" he said as he started trying to dry off his hat. He looked away, but Dawn could make out a faint blush on his cheeks.

 _What did he mean by that?_ She wondered. _Does that mean he wants me to stay with him? Like, forever?_ She buried her face in a towel. _Okay, Dawn. You're getting ahead of yourself. Again._

"Look! There's the island!" Cilan shouted, pointing towards a giant land mass ahead of them. Everyone stood up to get a good look.

"Wow, that's a pretty big island!" Dawn exclaimed.

"I know it's called Onix Island, but I still wonder if any Dragon-type Pokemon live there?" Iris said.

"Time to catch my very own special Onix!" Ash cried out, pumping the air with his fist. Pikachu mimicked his trainer, raising his paw up high with determination.

They landed on the shore, everyone excited to explore the island. Jervis let them off the boat.

"One thing, Master Ash," Jervis said. Ash and Dawn both turned to face him. Iris and Cilan had already made their way further up the beach.

"Yeah? What is it, Jervis?" Ash asked.

"I just want to warn you. Be very, very careful out there. I know you all are exceptionally strong trainers, but you must have extreme caution on this island. That is all," Jervis said.

Dawn smiled and replied, "No need to worry! I know we'll all be perfectly safe, especially with Ash here."

Ash looked up at Jervis and nodded. "Yeah, thanks for your concern, but I'm sure we'll all be just fine," he said with confidence in his words.

Jervis nodded, although his expression was somewhat grim. He pulled the boat out from the shore and started sailing back towards Undella Town.

Ash turned to Dawn and nodded. "Alright, then. Let's go!" he said.

The two trainers began walking when Dawn suddenly broke into a run. "Race you to Iris and Cilan!" she shouted behind her, waving her hand.

"Another race? You know I'm just gonna win again!" Ash shouted as he ran after her. The two of them once again ran off together into the unknown, in search of adventure.

– – – –

End of chapter 3. What'd you guys think? For some reason, I'm having a hard time coming up with more material for this story, which is part of the reason why it's taking me a while to update. Also, finals are just around the corner for me and I have to start getting ready for those. Anyways, thanks for reading, and leave a review if you have any thoughts whatsoever; I really appreciate it!

Also, one thing. I might take a break from writing this story to write a one-shot I've been wanting to publish for a while now. It's going to be about the children of the all the main characters of the Pokemon anime. If people like it, then I'm going to actually continue that and make it into a multiple chapter story. But yeah, stay tuned! I hope you'll read it, I think I have some pretty great ideas that will make for an interesting interpretation as to how the main characters all grow up to be. And don't worry, I'll still of course be working on this story. It might just take me a little longer to update.


	5. Chapter 4: Separated

Hey guys, I'm back! Well, sort of. Sorry for the hiatus; I just wanted to try something new with "The Pokemon Legacy: A New Beginning". I'm just putting out a quick chapter I wrote because I was in a PearlShipping mood for some reason. I apologize for the brevity of this chapter; I promise I'll get into the full swing of things within the next couple of weeks. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 4: Separated

"Man, this cave looks like it could go on forever!"

Ash and the gang had been walking through an enormous cave on Onix Island, searching for the mysterious special Onix that supposedly dwelled here.

"You have a point, Ash. I still can't see the light at the end...assuming there is any," Cilan said, looking around somewhat nervously.

Iris was cheerful and eager, walking well ahead of the group. "We haven't even seen any regular Onix yet. How are we supposed to find the special one?" she complained.

Dawn looked to her left and saw a small pebble sitting on top of a rock. It appeared to be shaking, but she couldn't quite tell in the darkness of the cavern. She blinked a few times and saw that the pebble had fallen to the ground, which was now shaking. _What's going on?_ She wondered.

Ash abruptly stopped walking. Ahead of him, Iris did the same. "Something's not right," Ash said, immediately looking to Dawn. "Stay alert, and be careful."

Cilan pulled out Pansage's Pokeball. "If things go badly, don't forget we have significant type advantages over Rock and Ground type Pokemon like Onix. Ash, I suggest you bring out Oshawott."

Ash nodded, taking out Oshawott's Pokeball. "Don't need to tell me twice! Oshawott, I choose you!" he shouted, tossing the Pokeball into the air. In a flash of white light, the Sea Otter Pokemon emerged from its capsule.

Dawn turned to Piplup. "Piplup, be ready for battle, okay?"

As always, Piplup proudly responded in the affirmative.

Iris looked down at the ground. Everyone could still feel small tremors within the dirt and rocks. Bits and pieces started breaking off the walls of the cave. Above them, dust clouds dropped down along with a few pebbles.

Pikachu's ears perked up as he quickly turned to his right. "Pika!" he cried, warning everyone to back away from the wall.

Iris and Cilan both ran towards the way they came while Ash and Dawn ended up running deeper into the cave. "Hey! We should go this way!" Ash shouted, motioning for them to come over.

Iris was about to turn around when suddenly a gigantic mass of rock came crashing through the wall, creating a huge dust cloud between them. "Ash!" she called out, quickly stepping back.

"Whoa..." was Dawn's only remark.

An enormous Onix stared at them, half of its body still burrowed within the wall of the cave. It looked at Ash and Dawn, then at Iris and Cilan.

Dawn inched closer to Ash, her hand gripping his arm. "Do you think...it's gonna attack us?" she asked, her voice somewhat calm but wary at the same time.

Ash frowned. "I'm not sure. But don't worry, I got you..." he said, watching the Onix warily.

"What do we do, Cilan?" Iris asked, trying to , her legs shaking ever so slightly.

Cilan looked down at Pansage. "Do you think you can handle this, Pansage?" he asked.

Pansage had a determined look on its face as it looked up and nodded. "Pan, pansage!"

Ash looked to Oshawott. "Be ready, Oshawott. I could need you at any moment now," he said.

Before anyone could react, another Onix came bursting through the other side of the cave. It roared angrily, clearly unhappy with having four humans in its lair. Immediately, it rushed towards Iris and Cilan. The first Onix was now riled up as well, and started making its way towards Ash and Dawn.

"Oshawott, use Hydro Pump!" Ash commanded instantly. There was no way he was going to let Dawn get hurt.

Not that Dawn needed his protection. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" she shouted, and her starter Pokemon released numerous large bubbles that compounded with Oshawott's Hydro Pump and struck the Onix head-on.

It was too much for the poor Onix to handle. It roared and slowly retreated back the through the hole it had come through.

Pansage would have been able to do the same, if not for the other two Onix that suddenly emerged fro beneath them. Cilan and Iris staggered backward, unsure of whether Pansage and Axew could handle three Onix.

As if things couldn't get worse, a fourth Onix appeared from the left wall, and then a fifth one came crashing through the ceiling of the cave.

"New plan: RUN!" Ash shouted as he grabbed Dawn's arm and sprinted deeper into the cave. Iris and Cilan were forced to run the complete opposite direction. They didn't have the time to coordinate a rendezvous location.

"How are we going to get out, Ash?!" Dawn frantically shouted as they continued running. She stumbled a little but kept her footing with Ash's support.

"We'll find a way. No need to worry!" Ash said with a smile. Dawn smiled back, despite the desperate situation they were in.

After about five minutes, they could finally see the light at the end of the cave. The two trainers sighed in relief as they stepped out into the warm sunshine. They looked back in and couldn't see any Onix, so they decided to catch their breath.

Breathing heavily, Ash sat down on a nearby rock. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Man," he said, "What are we going to do now?" he asked.

Dawn looked at their surroundings: rocks, cliffs, and more rocks. There was also a lone, unhealthy-looking tree sitting in the middle of a large canyon.

"Ash, let's sit underneath that tree and get some shade," Dawn said as she stood up and started limping. She had hurt her ankle a bit when she had stumbled, but tried to hide it as best she could. Ash noticed it immediately though.

"You're limping," he said. "Are you hurt?" he asked as he quickly got up and started walking beside her, holding her right arm with his left.

Dawn shook her head. "No! I'm fine, Ash, really. No need to worry, right?" she said with a half-hearted smile.

Ash smiled. "You shouldn't say that when there definitely is a need to worry," he said as he took her right arm up over his shoulder to support her as they walked.

"Oh, um, thanks Ash," Dawn said as she turned away and blushed.

They sat down underneath the small tree together. Dawn tried to subtly scoot closer to Ash so that their hips were touching ever so slightly.

"This is...nice, I guess," Ash said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Dawn nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, although her heart felt warm from being so close to him. She felt her eyelids beginning to tire, and her mind began to slowly drift towards sleep. It wasn't long until she fell asleep on Ash's shoulder.

– –

"I don't think they'll follow us all the way out here. They don't like being so close to water," Cilan said as he and Iris made their way to the shore.

"That's good and all, but what do we do now?" Iris asked. Axew had somehow managed to fall asleep in her hair and was snoring quietly.

Cilan stroked his chin, thinking hard. "I'm not sure. It's tough to make decisions when you're separated, because we don't want to take the risk of setting ourselves even further apart," he said.

Iris frowned. "You're right. That's going to be kind of boring, if you ask me," she said.

"I guess we'll just wait for Jervis, then," Cilan said as he sat down on the sand of the beach.

Iris was about to reply when she noticed something on the ground in the distance, behind some rocks. She stood up to get a better view, and saw that it was an all-too-familiar hot air balloon. "Uh oh," she said. "We've got company."

– –

Dawn opened her eyes. She felt something sort of heavy resting on top of her head. It was Ash's head, and he was sound asleep.

She smiled and closed her eyes again, enjoying the intimacy with Ash. _I could die happy, right here and now,_ she thought _. Well, not quite. I would have to confess my feelings to him, and then everything would be just fine. Well, not quite. He would have to-_

And then she noticed Pikachu and Piplup looking at her. Both had big, mischievous smiles on their faces.

"Piplup, pip, piplup," Piplup said to Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon chuckled and replied, "Pika pi pi pika pikachu."

"Hey! What are you two talking about?!" Dawn demanded, wishing that she could fully understand Pokemon speech.

Piplup and Pikachu just laughed, and Dawn couldn't help but smile at them. Like their trainers, the two Pokemon had grown to become best friends over the course of their journey through Sinnoh together.

Ash shifted a little and opened his eyes. He sat up as Dawn turned to him and smiled. "Man, how long was I out?" he asked, rubbing underneath his nose.

Dawn checked her Poketch. "I think maybe around ten minutes..." she said.

Ash nodded and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. He looked around at the barren environment they were stuck in. In the distance, he saw...what was it? It was gold colored, and it shined brightly in the sun. It was moving, but it was too far away for him to make out.

He turned to Dawn. "Are you okay here by yourself? I'm gonna go check something out real quick," he said.

Dawn smiled and nodded, even though she was slightly disappointed. "Sure, Ash, no need to worry," she replied.

Ash smiled. "Great. Be right back! C'mon, Pikachu!" he said as his little electric partner followed him through the canyon.

Dawn watched him adoringly as he sprinted towards whatever that gold object was. She smiled and leaned back against the small tree, with Piplup beside her.

"Ash is so amazing, don't you think, Piplup?" she said.

Piplup rolled his eyes and replied, "Piplup pip piplup lup." (How many times have you said that?)

– –

"There's the female twerp. Now where did the other one and his Pikachu go?" Jessie asked.

James shrugged as he continued searching through his binoculars. "Who knows? He's always running about like a child. Although it is strange that they're not together...usually those two are inseparable."

Meowth pointed over in the distance. "Hey, what's that thing? It looks like...gold!" he said. "I'd say it's as gold as my precious forehead."

"And look who I've found heading straight towards it!" James announced proudly as he pointed to a lone boy and a small yellow Pokemon hiking up the cliffside.

– – – –

As always, leave a review for me if you have anything to say about this story; whether it be suggestions or criticism, I appreciate everything. Thanks for reading, and many thanks for bearing with me during the extremely long hiatus. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5: Promises

Hey guys, I have some unfortunate news for you all...

I was hoping to make this a 10-chapter story, as all of my stories have been (aside from one-shots). However, I am sorry to say that I've been extremely busy juggling my time spent with school, sports, family, and friends. I'm now a junior in high school, and taking four AP classes (one of them is English, which I hope will improve my writing!). I've also just sort of lost interest in PearlShipping for some reason. Don't get me wrong; it's still my second favorite ship (see my profile for details) but I personally would rather spend the little time I have writing what I would prefer to write about.

Sorry PearlShippers, I hate to disappoint. Hopefully you'll like this last chapter enough to forgive me. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Promises

"Cilan, look, there's Jervis! And Cynthia's with him!" Iris shouted, pointing out at the boat in the distance coasting towards them.

Cilan looked up from the leaf he was examining, standing up and waving to Jervis and Cynthia. Then he turned to Iris. "Finally! It'll be nice to get back to the villa and get some good rest," he said.

Iris nodded, but glanced back at the mouth of the cave. "But...Ash and Dawn are still out there," she said.

– –

"Pikachu, I wonder if that's the special Onix?" Ash said as he and his partner climbed over rocks and crevices to get to the top, where a mass of heaping gold-like rock was resting.

Suddenly, a large mechanical hand with six fingers grabbed hold of Pikachu's entire body, pulling it towards a familiar-looking machine.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from deva-"

"Oshawott, come on out and use Razor Shell! Cut off that hand!" Ash shouted as he threw Buizel's Pokeball into the air, completely interrupting Team Rocket's well-rehearsed motto.

Oshawott appeared in a flash of white light, a confident smile playing across its face. With its scalchop in its hand, it leapt into the air and swung at the cable.

It managed to land a direct hit, but the move didn't penetrate the cable and the arm continued pulling in Pikachu. Moments later, Pikachu was trapped inside the chest of the robot, surrounded by thin but strong glass. He tried to break out with repeated Iron Tail attacks, but to no avail.

Ash clenched his hands into fists. He was about to send in another Pokemon when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Buneary, use Ice Beam!"

Ash watched with a smile as Buneary shot a forceful beam of icy power, coating the glass encasing Pikachu.

"Thanks Dawn! Pikachu, now try and use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted, his hand now pumped into a fist of determination.

Pikachu struck the ice-covered glass with its glowing tail, breaking the ice around it and cracking the glass.

"All right! Try it again!" Dawn shouted, now standing next to Ash. "Buneary, use Ice Beam!"

But Jessie was quick to react. She released Seviper and shouted, "Block that with Poison Tail!"

Somehow, Seviper's Poison Tail was able to negate the Ice Beam attack, leaving Buneary vulnerable and in the open air.

"Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!" James commanded, pointing directly toward Buneary.

The Bug Catcher Pokemon opened its large mouth and released countless green seed-like projectiles towards Buneary, landing multiple direct hits.

"Buneary!" Dawn cried out as she helplessly watched Buneary take the full brunt of the attack, staggering backward.

Ash tossed another Pokeball into the air. "Unfezant, use Aerial Ace on Carnivine! Oshawott, use Aqua Jet on Seviper!" he commanded.

Oshawott sped towards Seviper with incredible speed and smashed into it full force, knocking it backward.

Carnivine tried its best to dodge, but Unfezant was too quick. With a few graceful cuts and dashes, Unfezant struck Carnivine directly.

By now, Buneary had managed to land another Ice Beam onto the glass, and Pikachu broke out with one last Iron Tail. He jumped and landed smoothly on the ground next to Buneary.

"All right, Pikachu, finish them with Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu nodded and released a powerful bolt of lightning that sent Team Rocket flying.

"We're blasting off again!"

"Waaaaaahbbuffet!"

Ash and Dawn both breathed a sigh of relief as they turned to one another.

"Dawn, that was awesome. You really helped us out, there. It's just like the good ol' days, isn't it?" Ash said, rubbing underneath his nose.

Dawn blushed. "Well, the good ol' days were mostly you helping me out, Ash. I don't know how I would have turned out without you," she said with a winning smile.

Ash shook his head. "Dawn, I don't think you realize how much you mean to me," he said. Beside them, Buneary was flirting with Pikachu.

Dawn's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "R-really? That's really sweet of you, Ash..." she said, turning away.

On the top of the cliff, the heap of golden rock began to move. Ash realized that the rocks were connected and had been coiled up, which could only mean one thing.

"Dawn...that's the special Onix! Check it out!" Ash cried out. Pikachu watched with amazement as the shiny Onix stretched its long body and roared. The sound echoed through the canyon for all Onix to hear.

Ash was about to command Oshawott to attack, but Dawn placed a calming hand on his arm. He turned to face her, slightly taken aback.

Dawn smiled. "Ash, maybe you should just let it be. Look how beautiful it is, living in a beautiful place like this...it wouldn't be right for you to take it away from here," she said, her sweet voice warming Ash's heart.

Ash looked at her, then glanced over at the Onix. "But...isn't that what we do to every Pokem-"

Dawn laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him along back the way they had come. "Oh, stop, you know what I mean. Come on! Let's find a way out. Maybe the Onix have left the cave."

Ash smiled as he ran beside his best friend. _What would I do without her,_ he thought to himself.

– –

"Did you hear that?" Iris asked.

Cynthia nodded. "Garchomp, go find them and bring them back!" she commanded as she released her most powerful Pokemon from its Pokeball. Garchomp nodded and glided from rock to rock, making its way over the cave and out of sight.

– –

"Hey, Ash, isn't that Cynthia's Garchomp?" Dawn asked, pointing at a dark blue Pokemon flying towards them.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it is! Maybe it can show us the way out!"

– –

"Are you two alright?" Cynthia asked as Ash and Dawn stepped off of Garchomp's back.

Ash and Dawn both nodded simultaneously. "We're just fine! Thanks for saving us back there," Ash said with a smile.

Dawn added, "Yeah, thank you so much Cynthia!"

They all boarded the boat and started on their way back to Undella Bay. Ash was telling Iris and Cilan about seeing the special Onix. Dawn sat to the side, smiling as she listened to Ash speak. But deep down inside behind that smile, she was overwhelmed with sadness.

She stood up. "I'm going inside for a bit. I think I might be getting seasick," she said as she made her way into the cabin.

Ash would've gone after her, but Iris insisted that he finish the rest of his story.

Dawn opened the cabin door and found Cynthia inside, reading a book. She smiled at Dawn as Dawn sat down next to her.

"Tell me what's wrong," Cynthia said, taking Dawn by surprise.

"H-How did you know something was wrong?" she asked.

Cynthia chuckled a little. "I have a knack for that sort of thing. I can just tell that you're distressed; tell me, could this be about Ash?"

Dawn sighed and nodded. "I just...don't want to leave him again. But I also want to follow my dream of becoming a top coordinator...and to do that, I have to go to Johto."

"I see. Those kinds of decisions are always difficult to make. Unfortunately I cannot relate to you in terms of your relationship with Ash, because I have never found any romantic interest in any man," Cynthia replied, closing her book and setting it down.

"What? But you're so beautiful! There's no man out there you'd ever want?" Dawn asked.

Cynthia smiled. "You're sweet. But as of yet, no, no man is right for me in that respect. I'm biding my time until the time comes. If that time never comes, then so be it. But enough about me. Let's talk about you and Ash," she said.

– –

Jervis turned to Ash, Iris, and Cilan. "Master Ash, we will be arriving at the villa shortly. Undella Bay is just up ahead," he said.

A few minutes later, Jervis docked the boat and the three companions exited, happy to be back in the calm, soothing atmosphere of Undella Town.

Ash looked back to see Dawn and Cynthia walk off the boat together. _I wonder what they were talking about?_ He wondered.

Just as our heroes settled comfortably back inside the villa, evening was upon them, and the sun was starting to set over the horizon.

Everyone was relaxing in the living room when Dawn stood up.

"I think I'll take a walk. I'll see you guys at dinner time," she said as she put on her hat and opened the front door.

Ash stood up and followed her. "I'll go with you! Pikachu, you stay here, buddy. You need some rest."

Dawn turned to him and blushed. "Oh...okay, Ash, that's so nice of you!" she said cheerfully.

The two trainers walked out the door together, leaving Cynthia, Iris, and Cilan in the house.

After a few moments of silence, Iris decided to speak up. "So...Dawn and Ash seem to be really close, don't they?"

– –

After a few moments of silence, Ash decided to speak up. "So Dawn...has something been bothering you lately? You seem to be pretty quiet all of a sudden," he asked, his face expressing deep concern for his friend.

Dawn shook her head and forced a smile. "Nothing's wrong, Ash, but thanks for asking," she said.

Ash frowned. He could tell something was up, but he decided to let it go for now.

The two of them found themselves walking along the beach of Undella Bay, the sun coating the water with a beautiful orange color. Dawn noticed how close her hand was to Ash's, and it took everything in her power to resist holding it. She was scared of how he would react.

"This place is just so awesome. Aren't you glad you came out to Unova? It's pretty cool, isn't it?" Ash asked Dawn.

Dawn nodded and smiled, this time a genuine one. She looked out at the water as she said, "Yeah, yeah I am. It's beautiful out here."

"So...you'll be leaving after the Junior Cup, then?" Ash asked, although he already knew the answer. He looked down at the sand, shifting his feet around a little.

Dawn glanced over and noticed his glum demeanor. "Um...yeah, that's the plan at least," she said. _But is that what I really want?_

Ash nodded. "I see. Well, I'll tell you right now, I'm gonna miss you a whole lot when you leave. It's been great having you back, even if it's just for this short while," he said, turning to her with a smile.

Dawn decided to come out of her shell, just a little bit. "Well...see I've been thinking...I'm going to miss you, too...so much that I was considering just staying here with you. That is, if you would be okay with that..." she said.

"What do you mean? Of course I would be okay with that!" Ash exclaimed hopefully. "I mean, if you stayed, we could work on more strategies together, and-" then he stopped in his tracks. "Wait, but what about your coordinator contests? What about your dream to become a top coordinator?"

Dawn looked down as she replied, "That's the thing...I really want to stay with you, Ash, but...I still have to follow my dream..." She was on the brink of tears, trying to contain her numerous different emotions.

Ash took her hand in his, which surprised her. "Dawn...go follow your dream. As much as I want you to stay with me...I don't want to get in the way of your life's ultimate goal. I could never do that to you...even though I'll miss everything about you. Everything from your bad hair days to every high-five we share together," he said.

Dawn blushed as red as the sunset. "Ash...I didn't know you felt that way," she said, looking at him right in the eye. She nodded as she said, "I'll continue my journey...and become a top coordinator...but after I achieve that goal...I want to travel with you again, no matter where you are, and no matter where you go. Promise me...that you'll be there for me?" Dawn asked hopefully.

Ash smiled at her as he raised his hand up high. "Of course, Dawn. Once a team, always a team, right?" he asked, their eyes locked in each other's gaze.

Dawn smiled and laughed, which made Ash's heart melt. "Right, Ash!" she cried out cheerfully, and the two trainers shared another one of their trademark high-fives.

And then, Dawn did something that surprised both Ash and herself. She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, her own cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

Then she pulled away and turned back the way they had come. "C'mon! I'll race you back, Ash Ketchum!" she said as she started running, her hat falling off of her head.

Ash stood there for a few seconds, lightly touching the side of his face where she had kissed him. With his cheeks as red as his Pikachu's, he turned and ran after her, picking up her hat along the way. "You better run, Dawn! I'm right behind ya!"

The two trainers ran off towards the villa, the sunset illuminating the last of the evening sky.

The End


End file.
